Hospital no-shows wasting millions of dollars

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Hospital no-shows wasting millions

3News NZ

Thousands of people skip scheduled appointments every year

Thousands of people skip scheduled appointments every year

By Adrien Taylor

Figures obtained by 3 News show that every year, hundreds of thousands of people fail to attend scheduled hospital appointments, and it's costing the country millions of dollars.

That's led some frustrated district health boards to try and tackle the problem themselves.

Six-year-old Ruben Cumberpatch wouldn't dream of missing his hospital appointments, "cause otherwise I might not be that healthy and I might get sick".

But thousands of others do skip scheduled appointments every year.

The Ministry Of Health has released figures to 3 News of what it says are "rough estimates" of how many people missed appointments last year.

All the district health boards, from northland to southern, have figures in the thousands, and most are in the tens of thousands.

"On average for past 12 months we've had about 9.5 percent did-not-arrive or did-not-attend," says Joanne Deane of Waikato Hospital.

"That's over 20,000 patients."

The Waikato DHB estimates each time someone doesn't show up it costs them $150 in administrative costs, or more than $1.6 million annually.

But they say they're not just worried about the money.

"In reality the cost is really about all the patients who don't get access to an appointment as required, and all the rescheduling that has to go on behind the scenes."

Counties Manukau DHB had the highest number of missed appointments. For the 12 months to March, they had a total of 36,962 missed appointments - 11 percent of their total.

Maori and Pacific Islanders are three times as likely as other ethnic group to miss scheduled appointments.

Other health boards throughout the country have told 3 News they're doing all they can to improve the figures.

For the Waikato DHB, that's included providing a bus service to pick up patients and a new text appointment reminder service.

But the message they're trying to send is to be more like Ruben - attend your hospital appointments.

3 News

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Comments

15/08/2012 9:26:48 a.m.

reuben wrote:

Carole do you not realise that the matter of cancelling an appointment is not the problem? have you thought why are people not attending hospital appointments? where was the interview of a high needs individual? This is a failure of the health system not of population groups.

7/08/2012 2:03:47 p.m.

carole wrote:

Patients must be made aware of the not phoning up to cancel a serious matter. If you don't cancel a dentist appointment you can be charged that time. If you don't cancel your holiday you won't get a refund. If you don't cancel your interview you won't get that job. Time to make no more excuses just put the word on the line no cancel no more appointments unless the cause has a valid excuse!

7/08/2012 2:00:01 p.m.

carole wrote:

Patients must be made aware of the not phoning up to cancel a serious matter. If you don't cancel a dentist appointment you can be charged that time. If you don't cancel your holiday you won't get a refund.

6/08/2012 8:36:16 a.m.

Gary wrote:

It is amazing how we jump to our own conclusions and just want to punish people with out finding out the real reason! Do we really live in such a nasty society?? Or are we just so easily manipulated by media?? Either way it does show that we rarly use our brains for understanding and positive reactions!

4/08/2012 1:59:15 p.m.

Tom wrote:

If they don't show and don't have a valid reason, charge them the full rate, some one else could have been treated.

3/08/2012 6:41:16 p.m.

Jan Macleod wrote:

Elderly patients may find it difficult to attend early morning appointments. They often have to get someone to take them and avoid asking for help from relatives. I know a person who had her appointment bumped twice (over 2 months) on the day of the appointment, much to her dismay because relatives had left work to take her. Others dont like having to wait,it is very stressful for elderly to leave their house and go to unfamiliar surroundings.

3/08/2012 1:34:08 p.m.

Martin wrote:

Not sure where PONDERING lives but All the DHB's in the north island at least have bus stops outside the hospital. At Waikato they are every 15 minutes and there is a shuttle around the hospital every 10 minutes and you can get reception to get a pick-up. All appointments are during business hours, what more can they do? My appoint has the date, where in the hospital, a colour coded map, the doctors name and a direct phone line. It is a standard DHB letter and it asks for the letter to be brought to the clinic. Instead of slagging them off how about you get off you ____ and put the date in your computer, mark it on a calendar and pin the appointment where you can check it and retain it to bring it to your appointment. Going out for a night and leaving the kids with a babysitter or family? Theres a hint. It is a privilege in NZ to have public health care at no cost except the taxpayer so I is up to you, and I, to make the effort and keep the appointment. Excuses excuses blame everyone but yourself.

3/08/2012 1:19:47 p.m.

alison wrote:

My father had an appointment we had been waiting for a month for and we never recieved an appointment via mail or any phone call. We simply got accused of not attending and placed at the bottom of the list. It happens all the time our Dr said with this particular DHB. Another dr visit paid for to get him back on urgent through gp and all up it took 8 weeks to see the specialist for follow up. Not always the patients fault.

3/08/2012 12:38:39 p.m.

Marilyn Walsh wrote:

start charging them.......or deduct their benefits....when it appears free to them they do not care at all.......or they are not sick!!!

3/08/2012 12:22:37 p.m.

Pondering wrote:

Transport , accesss and chhildcare issues are huge reasons for no shows. Put the clinics where the patients are and can beaccessed by public transport. Make appointments for child friendly hours and or have appropriate child facilities. Put the right day time and month on the letters sent out to patients would also be helpful.